At a time when the empire was filled with religious zealots, a staunch atheist was shamelessly pestering Grand Duke Ferdinand of Lisbon for equipment.
"Oh, Your Excellency Alexander, your renown and valor are about to surpass an old man like me who's nearing the end of his days. Your courage is unparalleled, your wisdom legendary. Perhaps, the days of being dependent on others are not suited for someone destined for grandeur and independence. I will vouch for you with my noble status. Your future will no longer be subject to the whims of others. You will become a noble of Saint Martin, with status and independence."
Grand Duke Ferdinand sincerely conveyed this long speech to Alexander.
In actuality, when translated, it boiled down to one sentence.
"I can't afford it anymore, so get lost."
Did you really think you could ask me for over a dozen sets of Saint Martin knight armor and vanguard cavalry gear?
Do you take me for a fool?
Yes, some of Alexander's men had reached the standard to become Saint Martin knights, and some ordinary soldiers were eligible to switch to vanguard cavalry gear. But Ferdinand might have money, yet he wasn't a fool. Giving you regular equipment is one thing, but top-tier gear? He doesn't have that much lying around.
You suddenly want over a dozen sets. Do you think this stuff grows on trees?
Seeing that Ferdinand couldn't be relied upon, Alexander had to think of another way.
One option was to buy them outright. Armor was sold in major cities, but there were always merchants looking to make a profit, selling at exorbitant prices. The problem was, Alexander was currently broke.
The other option was to directly align himself with someone even more powerful than Ferdinand.
Across the entirety of the Kingdom of Saint Martin, there weren't many individuals at that level.
But... there were some.
Alexander set his sights directly on the recently defeated King of Saint Martin.
A king surely wouldn't lack a few sets of armor, right?
Alexander immediately led his men to find the king.
As luck would have it, the king had also retreated to this city to regroup his forces.
"Respected Your Majesty, I am Alexander Castile of the Lionheart family. It is an honor to meet you," Alexander said with utmost respect.
The King of Saint Martin looked at Alexander with narrowed eyes and asked, "I've heard of your bravery. Tell me, what do you desire?"
"I wish to offer my complete loyalty to Your Majesty and pledge to fight for the Kingdom of Saint Martin for eternity," Alexander replied.
The King of Saint Martin nodded expressionlessly and said, "Your ancestors, the Castile family, are renowned sword-bearing nobles. I hope you do not dishonor the family's glory."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Alexander bowed his head. Inside, he was practically bursting with laughter. With just a few words from the King of Saint Martin, his noble status was confirmed. This was an officially recognized noble status by the state.
At that moment, the King of Saint Martin approached, sword in hand, and gently placed the hilt against Alexander's forehead.
"For every drop of blood you shed for the Kingdom of Saint Martin, I shall reward you with land, subjects, and wealth. May the sword at your waist expand our borders, may your steed tread upon enemy territory. I, Hades III, accept the allegiance of the Castile family," declared the King of Saint Martin.
Why did the King of Saint Martin readily accept Alexander's allegiance? Because he urgently needed a capable fighter, and Alexander's record of achievements perfectly met this requirement from every angle.
In exchange, the king acknowledged Alexander's lordship.
A lord was a special presence among nobles. They could obtain land and people from the king, which were both tangible benefits and supreme honors.
As for the "sword-bearing" nobles mentioned by King Hades, it essentially meant ancestors who had fought in wars.
"Sword-bearing" referred to nobles who possessed a sword, symbolizing martial prowess. In essence, they were military aristocrats.
In contrast, "robe-wearing" nobles relied on wealth or other means to obtain noble titles. They were called "robe-wearing" because they didn't have a family sword as a token.
Simply put, it was the difference between old and new nobility.
There was also a hierarchy among nobles, and sword-bearing nobles would never look kindly upon robe-wearing nobles.
This was the first time Alexander learned that the noble title he obtained through deception actually belonged to a top-tier noble family. However, their family sword was lost, and its whereabouts were unknown.
Alexander suppressed the excitement in his heart and chatted happily with King Hazel, almost calling him "adoptive father".
Hazel was surprised by Alexander's profound knowledge, outstanding military talents and unique political insights.
After all, Alexander had completed higher education, and he still knew a little about what he should study.
Of course, Alexander's certification as a noble by the king came with conditions. He received his first task from the king—to take out the Snow Bear Knights of the Veed Kingdom. Ideally, he was to annihilate them; if that was not possible, he should at least cripple them. This was Hades' minimum requirement.
Alexander didn't know what this knightly order had done to offend King Hades, but since he was given the task, he had to execute it impeccably.
Hades was a practical man and first ensured that Alexander's troops were fully equipped, even generously providing expensive knightly suits.
Three days earlier, by the Dun River, a small creek on the border between the Kingdom of Saint Martin and the Veed Kingdom, Hades was quenching his thirst with over a hundred of his personal guards.
"Your Majesty, the other lords have already departed," a subordinate said as he approached Hades.
With the battle over and Hades' personal troops heavily depleted and in need of resupply, he decided to dismiss most of his large force for the time being.
Just as Hades was about to issue new orders, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach, a sensation of bloating and twisting, as if knives were being twisted inside him.
Looking around, he noticed many of his soldiers were also clutching their stomachs, their faces contorted in pain.
In an instant, Hades glanced towards the creek and shouted, "The water is poisoned! Don't drink it!"
Suddenly, from the nearby jungle, a deep, hearty voice rang out, "Hahaha, looks like we've caught ourselves a big fish."
A group of men draped in bear skins emerged from the trees, running towards them. They hurled their throwing axes as they ran, a tactic that was distinctly Veedish.
They had been lying in ambush by the creek for several days, and when they saw troops from the Kingdom of Saint Martin, the leader of the Snow Bear Knights immediately sent men upstream to pour barrels of toxin into the water.
As it turned out, this ancient recipe always seemed to be effective in unexpected places.
Hades' personal guards, who hadn't mounted their horses in time, could only draw their longswords and fight through the pain in their bellies.
Under the protection of his guards, Hades finally managed to mount his horse and flee into the distance, though not without experiencing the discomfort of diarrhea.